In semiconductor technology, due to their characteristics, Group III-Group V (or III-V) semiconductor compounds are used to form various integrated circuit devices, such as high power field-effect transistors, high frequency transistors, or high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). A HEMT is a field effect transistor incorporating a junction between two materials with different band gaps (i.e., a heterojunction) as the channel instead of a doped region, as is generally the case for metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). In contrast with MOSFETs, HEMTs have a number of attractive properties including high electron mobility, the ability to transmit signals at high frequencies, etc.
From an application point of view, enhancement-mode (E-mode) HEMTs have many advantages. E-mode HEMTs allow elimination of a negative-polarity voltage supply, and, therefore, reduction of the circuit complexity and cost. Despite the attractive properties noted above, a number of challenges exist in connection with developing III-V semiconductor compound-based devices. Various techniques directed at configurations and materials of these III-V semiconductor compounds have been implemented to try and further improve transistor device performance.
Frequently, layers of a semiconductor are doped in the manufacturing process. Magnesium (Mg) is a common dopant for a P-type gallium nitride (p-GaN). Mg diffuses into active layers and impacts performance, specifically in the 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and current density of HEMT devices.
Therefore, the process for making semiconductor structures containing HEMT and MISFET devices need to be improved continuous to ensure high level performance and production yield.